Childhood and Early Youth 15 many miles of new roads, modernizing every- thing, and changing the old system of land rentals, so hard on the tenants. Count Posse was the largest landowner and magnate of the county, a proud and stem gen- tleman, but yielding as wax towards his wife, Sophie Berg von Linde, and his first grand- child, Ellen Key. The customs and habits of olden times reigned at Bjorno, even as late as 1850. After the early dinner, the family would gather, about six o'clock, around the tea-table (as at the beginning of the century), which was lighted by dripping candles set in massive silver candlesticks. In this home the well -filled linen chests held damask cloths spun by the Countess and her daughters, and one of Ellen's gifts from her grandmother was a little spinning-wheel, but neither it nor the lace-making pillow was put to use by Ellen Key. Both in summer and winter the guests were many, but the supply in the store-room never gave out. This large room, of two compartments, seemed to Ellen's imagination a "Hanseatic Store." There was ever an odour of all kinds of condiments and all sorts of edible delicacies. Count Posse loved to build, and Ellen de-